2017 AUDI Q5 warning

Intelligent Technology
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the firs t 25 0 miles (400 km), new b rake
pads do not possess their full braking effect , they
have to be "broken i n" first ¢& .
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today 's automobiles a re sti ll sub­
ject to wea r, depend ing la rgely on ope rating con­
d itions and dr iv ing habits
c::> .&,. . On veh icles that
are either dr iven most ly in stop-and -go city traf ­
f ic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by your authorized Audi dea ler more of­
ten than spec ified in the
Warr ant y & Ma inte ­
nance booklet .
Failure to have your brake pads
inspected can result in reduced brake perform­
ance .
On steep slopes, you shou ld use the braking ef ­
fect of the eng ine. This way, you prevent unnec­
essary wear on t he brake system . If you must use
your brakes , do not hold the brakes down cont in ­
uously . Pump the brakes at interva ls.
Oper ating noise
Noises may occur when braking depend ing on the
speed, braking force and outs ide cond itions such
as temperature and humidity .
Effect of wat er and road salt
In certain s ituations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy ra in, after overnight con ­
densat ion or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be reduced by moisture or ice on the brake rotors and b rake pads . The brakes must be
dried first with a few careful b rake applications.
At higher speeds and with the windshie ld wipers
turned on, the brake pads press aga inst the brake
rotors for a short amount of t ime. Th is occurs at
regular intervals w ithout the driver noticing and
provides fo r bette r brake response time under
wet conditions.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt-covered road
and the brakes a re not used . Likewise , you clean
off acc umu lated salt coat ing from brake d iscs
190
and pads with a few cautious app lications of the
bra ke
c::> & .
Corrosion
There may be a tendency fo r dirt to build up on
the b rake pads and corrosion to form on the discs
if the car is not dr iven regu la rly or only for short
trips wi th little use of the brakes .
If the bra kes are not used frequent ly, o r if cor ro­
s io n has formed on the discs , it is advisable to
clean off the pads and discs by b rak ing firmly a
few times from a moderately high speed
c::> & .
Faults in the brake system
If you s hou ld notice a sudden increase in brake
pedal travel, then one of the two brake circu its
may have fai led ¢
_&.
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the
brake fluid level is too low . The brake fluid level
i s monitored electronically.
Brake booster
The brake booster increases the pressure that
you generate with the brake pedal. It only oper­
ates wh ile the eng ine is r unning or w ith the igni­
tion switched on (hybr id drive *) ¢ & .
Brake lining wear statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for t his inspection
¢page 255, Replacing wheels .
A WARNING
-New brake pads do n't have the best s top­
ping power and m ust be "broken-in" du ring
the initial 250 miles (400 km) . You can
compensate for this by pressing the brake pedal more firmly . This a lso applies later
when new pads are installed.
- You shou ld perform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of cleaning the brake system
only if road condit ions permit. Other road
users must not be put at risk -you may
cause an accident!

Intelligent Technology
Driving with your
quattro
With all-wheel drive, all four wh eels are driven.
G eneral information
With all-whee l drive, power is distributed to all
four wheels. This happens automatically depend­
ing on you r driv ing style and the road condit ions
at the time. See also¢
page 186 .
A center differentia l distrib utes the driving power
variably to the front and rear axle. It works to­
gether with selective wheel torque control, which
activates when driving t hrough curves
~ page 186.
The all-wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power. Your vehicle is exceptionally pow­
erful and has excellent driving characterist ics
both under normal dr iv ing condit ions and on
snow and ice . Always read and fo llow safety pre­
cautions ~
/1..
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with all­
wheel drive has an advantage, even with regular tires. In winter road conditions it may be adv isa­
b le to mount wi nte r tires (or all-season tires) for
improve d driveab ility and bra king: these tires
m ust be mounted on
all four wheel s. See also
¢ page 245, Winter tires.
Tire cha ins
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this norma lly also applies to vehi cles w ith
all-whee l d rive ~
page 245, Snow chains.
Replacing wheels /tires
Veh icles with all-whee l dr ive must always have
tires of the same s ize. A lso avo id tires with d iffer­
ent t read depths. For details see page
~ page 237, New tires or wheels.
.&, WARNING
Always adjust yo ur drivi ng to road and traff ic
c ondi tions . Do not let the extra safety afford­
ed by all -wheel drive tempt you into ta king
extra risks .
192
-Although the all-wheel d rive is very e ffec ­
tive, always remember that braking capacity
is limited by tire tract ion. You shou ld there­
fore not drive at excessive speeds on icy or
slippery road s urfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to dr ive
too fast because the front wheels could be­
gi n to slide on top of t he water (aquapla n­
ing). If th is should occur, you will h ave no
warn ing from a s udden increase i n engine
spee d as wi th a front-wheel d rive vehicle.
Always d rive at speeds which are suited to
the road conditions -risk of crash.
Energy management
· Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution of
electrical energy and thus optimizes the availa­
bility of electrical energy for starting the engine .
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system is
not dr iven for a long period of time, the batte ry is
discharged by id ling current consumers (e.g. im­
mobilizer) . In certain c ircumstances it can resu lt
i n the re being insuffic ient energy ava ilable to
start the eng ine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehicle
handles the d istribution of elec trical energy .
Start ing ability is markedly improved and the life
of the batte ry is ex tended.
Bas ically, energy management consists of
bat­
tery diagnosis , idling current man agement
and
dynamic ene rgy management .
Battery diagnos is
Battery d iagnosis continuously determines the
state of the battery. Sensors determine battery
vo ltage , battery current and battery tempera­
ture . This determines the current state o f charge
and the power of the battery .
Idling current management
Idling cur rent management reduces energy con­
sumption while the vehicle is standing. With the ..,.

Driving and th e en vironm ent
Driving and the
environment
Breaking in
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the first 600 miles (1 ,000 kilometer s):
.,. Do not use full throttle .
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1 ,000 to 1 ,500
kilometers ):
.,. Speeds ca n gradually be increased to the maxi­
mum perm iss ib le road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in pe riod
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds when it
is cold. This applies whether the transmission is
in N (Neutral) or in gear .
After the break- in period
.,. Do not exceed maximum engine speed under
any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before reach­
ing t he red area at the end of the tachometer
sca le
¢page 8.
During the first few hours of driving, the eng ine's
internal friction is higher than later whe n all the
mov ing parts have been broken in. How well this
break- in process is done depends to a considera­
b le exte nt on the way the vehicle is d rive n during
the firs t 1,000 miles (1,500 kilometers).
{[) Note
Extremely high eng ine speeds a re au tomati­
cally reduced . However, these rpm lim its are
progr ammed for an e ng ine well run -in, not a
new engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not dr ive with u nne cessarily high eng ine
spee ds -upshi fting ea rly saves fuel, reduces
noise and protec ts the enviro nment .
194
· New tires
If your veh icle is runni ng on new tires, d rive very
c ar efu lly fo r the fi rs t 350 miles (500 kilometers)
a fter fi tting.
_& WARNING
New tires tend to be slippe ry and must a lso
be "broken-in". Be sure to remember this dur­
ing the first 350 m iles (500 kilometers) .
Brake gent ly. Avoid following closely behind
other ve hicles or ot her situations that might
require sudden, hard braking.
Catalytic converter
App lies to : vehicles wi th gaso line e ngi ne
-
It is very important that your emission control
system (catalytic converter) is functioning prop­
erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
environmen tally sound manner .
.,. Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 209,
Gasoline .
.,. Never r un the tank down all the w ay to emp ty.
.,. Never put too much mo to r o il in yo ur engi ne
¢ page 221, Adding engine oil 9::r..
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your vehicle .
The cata lyt ic converter is an efficie nt "clea n-up"
device b uilt into the exhaus t sys tem o f the ve hi­
cle . Th e catalytic converter b urns many of the
po llutants in the exhaust gas before they are re ­
l eased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of un le ad ed fuel is critically im ­
portan t fo r the life o f the cataly tic converte r and
proper functio ning of the engine .
A WARNING
The temperature o f the exhaust system is
h igh, both when driv ing and after stopp ing
the eng ine.
-
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot. This could resu lt in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in a reas
where the hot exhaust system may come in
contact with dry grass, b rush, fuel sp ill or
other mate rial which can cause a fire.

CD
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.... N ,-... N .... 0 0 c:<: 00
-Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or heat shields. During dr iv ing, the substance
used for undercoating could overheat and
cause a fire.
Q) Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already ser iously degrade
t h e pe rformance of the catalytic converter .
- Do not exceed the correct eng ine o il level
c:> page 221.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
complete ly empty. The engine could mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into the
exhaust system and this cou ld cause the
catalytic conve rte r to overheat.
- Do not tur n off the ignition whi le the vehicle
i s mov ing.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these cond it ions, as otherwise fuel can
r each the catalytic converte r. This cou ld re­
su lt in ove rheating of the converte r, req uir­
i ng its replacement.
- To assu re efficient operation of the Emis ­
s ion Control System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommen­
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as im­
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the em ission control system
and co uld lead to damage.
@) For the sake of the environment
Even when the Em ission Control System is op­
erat ing properly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some op­
erat ing states. This depends on the su lfu r
conten t of the fuel being used. Using a differ­
ent brand of fue l may he lp, or filling the tan k
with lead -free s uper grade gasoline.
Driving and the envir onment
Diesel particulate filter
App lies to : veh icles w ith diesel en gine
The diese l particu late filter filters near ly all of
the soot particles out of the exhaust. The filter
cleans itself automatica lly under norma l driving
condit ions. If the filter cannot clean itself (for ex­
amp le, because you are only driving short distan­
ces), the filter becomes clogged with soot and
the m symbol for the d iesel part icu late filter il­
luminates
c:> page 31 .
_&. WARNING
-Do not park your veh icle over flammab le
mate ria ls s uch as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel particu­
late filter cou ld start a fi re.
-
- Do not app ly an underbody pro te ctant in the
exhaust system area or a fire could sta rt .
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that low­
ly ing parts such as spo ilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damaged .
This is especially true for vehicles with low-s lung
chassis (sports chass is)* and fully loaded
vehicles.
Economical and environ­
mentally-friendly driving
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the
economy of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and
noise levels .
Fuel economy, env ironmental impact, and wear
o n your engine, brakes and tires large ly depend
on three factors :
- your pe rsonal d riving s tyle
- operat ing cond itions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your fuel
195

Driving and th e en vironm ent
consumption by 10-15 percent. This section will
give you some tips on how you can help the envi­
ronment and your pocketbook.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depend ing upon vehicle
load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc .
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating .
"'Avo id unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler ­
ating . If you anticipate what is going to happen
next, you will need to brake less and, thus, accel­
erate less . Let the vehicle coast whenever possi­
ble -for example when you see that the next traf­
fic light is red .
Avoid full throttle
Driving a t moderate speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage .
"'Try and keep well below your car 's maximum
speed .
Accelerating gent ly reduces fuel consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ­
ment.
Fue l cons umption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase d isproportionately at high speeds .
If you drive at approximately three q uarters of
top speed, fuel consumpt ion w ill be reduced by
one half. Never drive faster than the posted
speed limit and weather conditions permit.
196
· Reducing unnecessary idling
E ven when your car is just idling it burns up fuel .
"'Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
"' Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the en-
gine run at idle .
The idling phase is automatically reduced for
vehicles with the Start-Stop-System*. It is effi­ c ient to sw itch off the engine in vehicles without
the Start-Stop-System* when stopped at ra ilroad
cross ings and long red lights. Turning the engine
off fo r just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel than is
bur ned by s tarting the engine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is runn ing at id le . However, wea r
and noxious emissions are especially high when
the engine is warming up . So yo u should dr ive
away as soon as you sta rt the eng ine and avo id
running at hig h rpms whi le the engine is st ill
warming up .
Q) Note
Do not leave eng ine idling una ttended after
starting. If warning lights shou ld come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also prod uces
heat, which could result in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper­
ty .
· Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot
of fuel .
"' Have your vehicle serviced at regular interva ls.
By having your vehicle regular ly serv iced by an
authorized Audi dea le r helps to ensure that it
r uns prope rly and economically . The condition of
your vehicle not on ly affects its safety and ability
to hold its value, it also affects
fuel consump­
t ion .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amou nt o f oi l used is related to engine load
and speed. ..,

Offroad dri ving
Offroad driving
Driving under difficult
conditions and off-road
General information
The operation of the Electronic Stabilization Con­
trol (ESC) is expanded for operation away from
paved roads. In situations where slip or a differ­
ential locking function is required, the offroad mode can be activated
<=> page 186. Your Audi al­
so has permanent all-wheel drive in addition .
However, your Audi is not a pure offroad vehicle.
It was not built for driving under extreme condi­
tions, e.g. for trips that are in the nature of an
expedition .
Drive only on roads and offroad sections which
match the design of your vehicle and your abili­
ties as a driver. Never take risks!
Befo re driving offroad
-Check the eng ine oil level, tire pressure, coo l­
ant level, and the fluid leve l in the windshield
washer reservoir.
- Stow luggage items and other objects in the
lu ggage compartment, and secure them
against sliding around.
After driving offroad
-After trips offroad, remove any twigs and other
foreign objects from the grill, the underbody
and the wheels. Pay specia l attention to foreign
objects (stones) which have become lodged in
the tire tread.
- Clean the body and the vehicle underside, and
inspect the vehicle for possible damage.
- Clean dirty windows, headlamp lenses, rear
lights, and license plates.
- Perform a brake check (particularly after travel­
ling through water) .
A WARNING
- Drive especially attentive ly and plan ahead
in difficult road conditions and when off­
road. Excessive speed or incorrect maneu­
vers can cause in juries and damage to the
vehicle.
198
- Always adapt your speed and driving style to
road, offroad, traffic, and weather condi­
tions. Drive especially slowly offroad when
your view is restricted.
- Please be aware that in offroad mode, par­
ticularly on a smooth and slippery road, the
wheels may have an increased tendency to
spin and the vehicle may break away - dan­
ger of skidding!
- Stability is limited in the offroad mode.
® For the sake of the environment
Avoid damage to the environment and re­
spect nature.
(D Tips
Only drive where it is permitted and stay on
marked roads and paths.
Explanation of some technical terms
The following data refer to ideal conditions. De­ pending on vehicle load and ground conditions
and the env ironment, the numbers may vary. It is
the driver's responsibility to decide whether ave­
hicle can overcome a specific s ituation
<=> .&. .
Gradient angle
The number of meters in alt itude gained over a
distance of 109.4 yards or 100 meters (grade)
are given as a percentage or degrees . Informa­
tion about the gradient the vehicle can cl imb un­
der its own power (depends in part on the road
surface and eng ine power). Maximum permitted
grade: 31
°
Ground clearance
The distance between the road surface and the lowest point of the vehicle underbody. Ground
clearance 7.9 in (200 mm)
.&, WARNING
Exceeding the stated maximum figures can
result in severe injuries or vehicle damage.
- All the information was gathered on level,
firm and non-slippery road surfaces, and un-
-
der dry weather conditions. ..,

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.... N ,-... N ..... 0 0 C<'. 00
-Ideal conditions do not prevail offroad . Nev­
er utilize the maximum readings to their
fullest, always leave a safety reserve.
Driving tips
On poor rood and offrood, there is always only
one motto: Plan ahead and drive slowly!
Please observe the following when driving away
from paved roads:
~ Drive only on roads and offroad sections wh ich
match the design of your veh icle and your abili ­
ties as a driver. Never take risks!
~ Drive slowly and plan ahead!
~ Take into consideration the ground clearance
of your veh icle.
~ Activate the off road mode q page 186 as need­
ed .
~ Use the hill descent assist q page 188 when
driv ing down steep sections on h ills.
Unpaved road s and offroad
Drive s low ly on unfamiliar roads and unknown
offroad sections, and look out for unexpected ob­
stacles (e .g . potholes, rocks, tree stumps, etc .).
T o prevent the vehicle from bottoming and avoid
damage to the underbody, you should drive
stra ight across severe bumps in the ground with
only one side of the vehicle so that only two of
your wheels cross the bumps .
Drive briskly through sandy or marshy offroad
sections and do not stop, if at all possible.
Driving through water
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage when
driving through water, for example on flooded
roads:
- Th e wate r must not be any higher than the bot-
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than walking speed.
Driving on a slope
If you ever find yourself not able to climb a slope,
do not try to turn around, drive back down in
re­
verse.
Othe rw ise, you run the risk of tipping over.
Offroad driving
If the vehicle threatens to tip over when driving
across a slope, you must immediately steer
downhill in the direction of the slope.
Do not park your vehi cle on steep slopes or
grades .
T o reduce the risk of tipping over, drive on slopes
i n the direction of the downward slope (fall line) -
not crosswise .
& WARNING ~ -
After driving thro ugh water, mud, slush, etc.,
the brakes may be slow to take effect beca use
of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry the brakes
f ir st by braking carefu lly to restore the full
braking effect.
(D Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or electrical sys ­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water .
- Always switch off the Start-Stop-System*
when driving through water
Q page 90.
(D Tips
-Check the depth of the water before driving
through it.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine off when driving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely.
-Avoid dr iv ing through salt water because it
can cause corros ion.
199

Trailer towing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation.
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­my and performance.
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on the
ve hicle, it also ca lls for more concentration from
the dr iver.
F or this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross tra iler weight. The hitch must be suitab le
for your veh icle and tra iler and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
locat ion . Use on ly a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ba ll mount . Always che ck with the t rail ­
er hitch man ufac tur er to make s ure t hat you are
using the co rrect hi tc h.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system. No mod ificat ions should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and b rake systems .
Fr om t ime to t ime, che ck that all hitch mo unti ng
bol ts rem ain securely f aste ned.
W hen you are not tow ing a tra iler, remove the
tra ile r hitc h ba ll mount . This prevents the hit ch
from caus ing damage s hou ld your veh icle be
s truck from be hind ¢
,&..
Trailer brakes
If you r trailer is equipped with a brak ing system,
check to be su re that it conforms to all regula­
tions .
200
The t rai ler hydraulic bra ke system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
bra ke system ¢&. .
Safety chains
Always use s afety chains be tween you r vehi cle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Traile r lights must meet all regula tions . B e s ure
to check w ith your author ized Audi dealer for cor­
r ec t wir ing, swi tches, an d relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see t he traffic behind you us­
i ng t he regular outs ide mirrors, then yo u
must in­
stall ex tended mirro rs . It is impo rtant that you
al ways have clear vision to the rear.
.&_ WARNING
- If a tra ile r has e lectr ical brake s ple ase no te
t h at these b ra kes are not activated by the
factory -fit ted contro l unit -risk of accident!
- After removing the traile r h itch, d o no t
s t o re it in your vehicle. In case of sud den
braking, the hitch co uld fly forwar d and in ­
jure you or yo ur passenge rs.
- Never install a "we igh t distribu tin g" or
"loa d eq ualizing" trailer hitch on your veh i­
cle . The vehicle was not designed fo r these
kinds o f trailer hitches. The hitch attach­
ment can fail, ca us ing the tra ile r to tear
loose from the vehicle .
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your
veh icle, found on the safety compliance la­
be l on the driver's s ide B-pillar, must never
be exceeded under any circ umstances . Ex­
ceed ing the Gross Vehicle We ight Rat ing of
your veh icle is likely to damage yo ur vehicle,
a nd such d amage will no t be covered by
your Limi ted New Vehicle W arra nty . Exceed­
ing the Gross Ve hicl e We ight Rating will al ­
so change the pe rformance and han dling
characte ristics o f yo ur vehicle, which could
cause a crash result ing in se rious injury or
death.